Common Marmoset

Marmosets and tamarins are found primarily in the tropical rainforests of
South America with a few remnant populations located in Central America. The
common marmoset is distributed throughout the Atlantic Coastal Forest of
northeastern Brazil.

Translocated populations of the common marmoset also flourish in the ranges
of other Brazilian marmoset and tamarin species, such as around Rio de Janiero,
well beyond their native coastal forests.

The home range of a marmoset group can vary from 5,000 to 65,000 square
meters (1.2-16 acres). On any one day a marmoset group will travel about 500 to
1000 meters.

The common marmoset is entirely arboreal (tree
dwelling) and prefers secondary or disturbed forests and edge habitat.

This species may also be found in coastal and upland scrub forest, gallery
forests and even gardens and parks of South American cities, such as Natal and
Joao Pessoa.

Wherever they are found, their home range will typically include a variety
of habitat types.

Although the common marmoset utilizes a mixture of habitats, there are two
criteria which usually must be met for the habitat to be appropriate:

Enough trees must produce exudates (saps and gums)
for food

Sufficient hiding places for cover from predators, such as raptors and
snakes.

The common marmoset belongs to a family of primates popularly called the
Callitrichids.

It is estimated that there are 11 species of marmosets and 16 species of
tamarins within the Callitrichid family. However, the
exact taxonomic relationships are debated and new species are still being
discovered, such as Callithrix mauesi, C. nigriceps, and C. saterei found since
1990 in Brazil.

Callitrichids belong to a class of monkeys called New
World monkeys, or Platyrrhines.

New World monkeys are found exclusively in Central and South America.

Fossil evidence indicates that monkeys first appeared in the New World
approximately 30 million years ago during a time period called the Oligocene.

In addition to marmosets and tamarins, New World monkeys include species
such as the squirrel monkey, the spider monkey, the capuchin, the uakari, the
owl monkey, and the muriqui monkey.

New World monkeys can be distinguished from Old World
monkeys and apes and prosimians.

The Old World monkeys and apes, or Catarrhines,
and the prosimians are found exclusively in Africa and Asia.

Prosimians have relatively smaller brains and rely more on the sense of
smell.

Prosimians have structural differences in their skull and reproductive
biology.

All lemurs and lemur-like prosimians are endemic
to Madagascar. Some nocturnal prosimians inhabit parts of Africa and Asia.

Callitrichids share much in common with other New World monkeys. However,
they also display several traits that set them apart as a group:

small body size

Fewer teeth (32 vs. 36) because of their small body size and specialized
lower dentition because of their diet

Claws replace nails on all digits but the big toe

Non-identical twins are born rather than one infant

Lack of a prehensile tail

While Callitrichids share the above traits, they are also a very diverse
group of primates, especially in appearance.

Some examples of Callitrichids include the moustached tamarin, the
golden-handed tamarin, the emperor tamarin, the bare-faced tamarin, the
cotton-top tamarin, the golden lion tamarin, the black tufted-eared marmoset,
the common marmoset, the buffy-headed marmoset, and Geoffroyi's tufted-eared
marmoset.

Fruit sources range in size from small to large and tend to be sweet and
soft.

Dependence on tree exudates is very common among marmosets, but is much less
so among tamarins. Among marmosets, but not among tamarins, exudates often serve
as an important food source when others are limited.

Unlike several of their close relatives, the common marmoset is currently not
listed as a threatened species.

The common marmoset is widespread and common in northeastern Brazil because
of its adaptability to different habitats.

Unfortunately, in some areas of its distribution, populations of the common
marmoset are showing signs of decline due to habitat destruction.

Habitat destruction is the primary cause of extinction or threat of
extinction for all animals.

Captive studies have taught scientists a great deal about the behavior and
biology of the common marmoset. This information has been applied towards the
protection as well as the captive and wild breeding of other closely related
primates.

Roughly 23% of the callitrichids have a threatened conservation status.
Examples include:

An example of how the common marmoset has served as a model to help with the
conservation of other primates is its use in the development of the embryo flush
at the Wisconsin Primate Research Center in 1996. This is a noninvasive
technique designed to assist in breeding of wild and captive primates.

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